Smashwords book reviews by Traci Coker

Bright Star
on Jan. 22, 2013
Author's Synopsis:
It's bad enough that Sadira Pascal's father doesn't make it home to celebrate her fifteenth birthday. He might be a busy hovership engineer pulling overtime on a new design, but he's always been home for the important things. It's worse when she discovers her father decided to ride on the maiden voyage of his newest ship, the CAS Bright Star, without even telling her. But things really fall apart during Sadira's field trip with her class to observe the hovership launch. Instead of a successful flight, she watches the Bright Star fall out of the sky.
The Central government confirms her father's death, leaving Sadira to pick up the pieces of her former life. While she struggles with her loss, Private Baruj Haddad tries to convince her that her father and the rest of the Bright Star crew are still alive. At first, Sadira doesn't believe there's any hope. But then she stumbles across a message that makes her think maybe, just maybe, her father is still alive. As she digs deeper into the Bright Star's crash, Sadira uncovers secrets about her father's work, secrets that put her and everyone she loves in danger.
Young Adult, Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 3 out of 5
Bright Star Review:
I had an opportunity to read "Bright Star" through Goodreads - Read 2 Review Program. I received a free e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated in any other manner for this review.
The story of the 'Bright Star' is one of an adolescent girl whose world is literally and figuratively explodes around her. Sadira begins her fifteenth birthday full of excitement and anticipation of the possibilities at hand. She is full of youthful, carefree wishes and daydreams with the excitement of her birthday. She shares a piece of cake and laughing with her best friend and explores her feelings for another. Then her class attends the launch of a new airship, the CAS Bright Star, the ship her father had designed. She soon discovers her father will be monitoring the progress of the airship as a passenger. Moments after lift off something goes terribly wrong. Sadira finds herself entirely alone trying to understand what had happened. A young soldier of the Colony, Baruj, finds Sadira and shares his belief -- the two pilots and Mr. Pascal are alive and the government is lying to cover it up. Sadira and Baruj find themselves fleeing the Colony in a race for their lives, uncover truths and search for the CAS Bright Star.
Bright Star' is a good inspirational read by Nickie Anderson. Anderson does a terrific job illustrating the struggles of a naive young girl thrust into circumstances that push her to become a young woman. As the story begins, Sadira is a girl making wishes and daydreaming. Anderson beautifully portrays the difficulties a young girl must face when overcoming loss, her fears pushing herself while clinging to hope and her beliefs as she struggles to uncover the truth about her father's disappearance. Anderson's story. She depicts the harsh and brutal lessons of life as well as some of the most beautiful. This book is an emotional roller coaster of loss, faith, friendship, deception, cruelty, hope, and love.
I am giving 'Bright Star' 3 out of 5 stars. Basically, I enjoyed the read. However, I found there were aspects of the story where I could not maintain attention. Several scenes had an added, almost unnecessary, importance to them. Thereby slowing the momentum of the story with trivial scenes and zipping past significant ones.